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The reunion of the so-called classic Guns N' Roses lineup had faced enough obstacles already. Fans complained that original members Izzy Stradlin and Steven Adler weren't on board, and rumors flew that the thaw between formerly fractious band leaders Axl Rose and Slash was less about mending fences than cashing in. So it looked like one more bad omen when news leaked Friday that Rose had broken a bone in his left foot after the group's impromptu warm-up gig April 1st at Los Angeles' venerable Troubadour, necessitating surgery. But not only did the frontman vow that the show would go on, he and the rest of the band – especially his lead guitarist – delivered a persuasive, often exhilarating reunion show Friday night at Las Vegas' newest venue, the T-Mobile Arena. And they did it with a little help from Dave Grohl.

After a churning, hit-heavy opening set from Alice in Chains, the ravenous, sold-out crowd waited 90 minutes for the notoriously late Rose to make an appearance. But just before midnight, he arrived to deafening cheers – while sitting on a tricked-out, Middle Ages-era throne complete with light displays that surrounded his head like a glowing aura. The eagle-eyed in attendance noted that the seat looked awfully similar to the throne constructed for the Foo Fighters leader last summer after he broke his leg, but it was only at the end of GN'R's show that the roadies removed a covering that had obscured the Foos' iconic "FF" logo underneath. "That's a good advertisement," Rose said admiringly of the logo, an indication of the singer's jovial demeanor throughout his band's two-and-a-half-hour set.

With his left leg in a cast, Rose was deprived of the frenzied movements he typically brings to his concerts. But the lack of mobility added an unexpected air of regal splendor and humanizing humility to the singer's collection of schizophrenic songs that veer wildly between impassioned mash notes and toxic kiss-offs. Shrieking, wailing and cooing sweetly from his throne, Rose ruled his kingdom of metaphorical and literal pain, serving as the tortured center of GN'R's vibrant, melodramatic tunes. And he was clearly in a good mood, smiling frequently, offering a polite "Thank you" each time the crowd roared its approval for a song, and commenting "Nice place you got here" about the spacious but comfy arena that, just the night before, had been christened by hometown heroes the Killers.

The Troubadour show may have been the first time that Rose, Slash and original bassist Duff McKagan have played together since 1993, but any naive hope that these reunion gigs would somehow thrust Guns N' Roses back in time to the jet-black menace of 1987's Appetite for Destruction quickly dissipated. Although plenty of Appetite material made the set list, the band's current configuration – which includes guitarist Richard Fortus, drummer Frank Ferrer, keyboardist/percussionist Dizzy Reed and keyboardist Melissa Reese – emphasizes the sweeping grandeur and cinematic shading that first took hold with the Use Your Illusion records and became even more prominent on the long-simmering Chinese Democracy. Even when Slash and his cohorts locked into the ferocious riffs of "It's So Easy" or "Welcome to the Jungle," the combustion was more glitzy Vegas than seedy Sunset Strip.

If Rose and Slash were affected by the whispers that their reunion was spurred by money, they betrayed no unease, the frontman busy hurling his lyrical antagonisms while the guitarist moved around the stage – his features hidden, as always, by his trademark top hat and long, curly black hair. But the lack of overt warmth between them couldn't obscure a shared, invisible onstage connection. After Rose struggled initially to reach the high notes on Chinese Democracy's "This I Love," Slash rescued his comrade with a guitar solo that articulated the song's anguish and vulnerability with such force that it seemed to embolden the singer when he got back on the mic for the final verse.

Perhaps not surprising for a show that dripped with nostalgia — many in the crowd sported vintage GN'R tour shirts when they weren't straight-up doing Slash cosplay — individual band members paid tribute to the diverse influences that had once inspired the nascent group but also predicted its fractious future. McKagan took a turn as lead singer, powering through revered British punk-rockers the Damned's "New Rose," while Slash and Fortus duetted on an instrumental version of Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here," which led to Rose getting on the piano for a performance of the instrumental coda to "Layla." The coiled fury of punk sparring with the broad emotional canvas and musical dexterity of 1970s classic rock: That's one way to describe the warring creative instincts that built up in Guns N' Roses around the time of the Use Your Illusion albums as Rose began to assert control over the group and indulge his operatic sonic ambitions.

Still, what was cheering about this first official reunion show, which will pave the way for a stop at Coachella and a 21-city tour, is that both halves of the band's personality got to have their say — and they both flourished. When Rose unfurled the gargantuan Illusion power ballads "Estranged" and "November Rain," his goopy tales of romantic disillusionment — encompassing everything from sorrow to anger to acceptance to hope — were guided and in some ways ennobled by Slash's precise playing and Ferrer's monolithic drumming, which counterbalanced the songs' bloated running times. (As for Reed and Reese, thus far they only really provide minute instrumental coloring, their contributions drowned in a sea of guitars, bass and drums.)

But the night belonged to the man in the chair. "I see how you could get used to this," Rose said with a laugh near the end of the show as he limped from his crutches offstage to climb up onto the throne. What was left unsaid was that what has made Rose such a spectacular and often maddening rock star is that, from the beginning, he's always wanted to wear the crown — and like Macbeth, once he had it, his paranoia and megalomania threatened to become his undoing. In some ways, seeing him at last sitting on a throne felt anticlimactic, even redundant.

Not that Rose's loyal subjects cared. Even after 150 minutes of pummeling, emotionally fraught hard rock, only a few in attendance left early, most of them stumbling out of the arena after the closing number, "Paradise City," with a bleary-eyed look and happy, tired smiles. As fans turned for the exits, not many noted that Slash and Rose, on crutches, headed offstage together, their heads turned to one another. It was impossible to know what was being said. But their body language suggested two survivors who recognized a kindred spirit.

Guns N’ Roses welcomed Slash and Duff McKagan back for the first full-scale show of their reunion tour with a powerful performance in Las Vegas last night.

Earlier in the day, Axl Rose revealed he was suffering from a broken foot, but thanks to the loan of a gigantic metal throne from Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl, the singer was able to lead the show in high style. (A few songs into the set, Rose had the contraption moved from dead center to slightly stage right, so as not to completely block drummer Frank Ferrer. Amusingly, this instead largely obscured keyboardist Dizzy Reed, for which Rose apologized.)

Much like the band’s surprise L.A. club show last week, the set started off with two favorites from their groundbreaking debut album Appetite for Destruction. With the exception of “My Michelle” and the Who‘s “The Seeker,” GNR played all of the songs featured at that previous concert.

However, with more time and a bigger stage to work on, the group stretched out by also playing some of the more epic songs from the Use Your Illusion albums, including “Estranged,” “Coma,” “Civil War” and “November Rain.”

There were plenty of fireworks and pyrotechnics, three dancing girls atop the amps in the back, and a large video display filled with constantly changing graphics or shots of the band performing. But the focus remained squarely on the band and their impressive catalog, with Rose pausing only briefly to compliment the new venue, introduce the band’s new lineup and repeatedly thank Grohl for the use of his chair.

His voice was consistently strong, and the rest of the band sounded amazing. Hopefully this won’t sound like too much of a knock against the members of the recent GNR lineups – we had a blast at every show we saw in support of Chinese Democracy – but having Slash and Duff back makes a huge difference, it just can’t be denied. It was particularly fun to see the former dig into the passionate soloing of “This I Love,” or deliver an extended introduction for “Double Talkin’ Jive.”

There was no sign or mention of Steven Adler or Izzy Stradlin, but Ferrer and second guitarist Richard Fortus made sure they weren’t missed much. Fortus effortlessly commanded the stage while soloing over Slash’s talk box work on “Rocket Queen,” and dueted wonderfully with his new top-hatted bandmate on an instrumental cover of Pink Floyd‘s “Wish You Were Here.”

After that Rose – who bravely and gamely hopped off his throne several times during the show for outfit changes – joined in on piano for a full take on the coda from Derek and the Dominos‘ “Layla.” This naturally led into “November Rain,” which pretty much brought the house down. “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door,” “Patience” and “Paradise City” sent everybody home happy, if tired – their set started a bit before midnight and ran until about 2:30AM.)

Alice in Chains served as the opening act, and delivered a lean, hard-hitting and fast-paced set that started with “Again” and closed with “Would.” Coincidentally, the Seattle grunge stars also served as the opening act for Kiss on their 1996 reunion tour.

So, to sum up, this was an excellent concert. Everybody sounds great individually and collectively, and if this concert represents the kind of show Guns N’ Roses will be delivering at football stadiums across the country this summer, you’d be wise to attend. If you don’t believe us, check out the video below.

Review: GUNS N' ROSES Felt Like GUNS N' ROSES Again At First Official Comeback Concert

What a difference a quarter-century makes. After one of the most peculiar launches imaginable — one that, following a press release which raised more questions than answers, saw a high-profile late-night television appearance scrapped at the last minute, a curious concert cancellation by the group's original drummer, a shocking flirtation with AC/DC that threatened to control the narrative, a flurry of activity (including a "secret" show) on April 1 that some originally believed to be an elaborate April Fool's prank and, last but not least, a broken foot — GUNS N' ROSES formally returned to the stage at Las Vegas' new T-Mobile Arena last night for the first of two sold-out shows.

Interestingly, the arena is located less than two miles away from the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, where just 22 months ago GN'R played its last official concerts with the impressive eight-piece, three-guitar lineup that toured the world together for five years in support of the infamous "Chinese Democracy". Last week, after months of speculation, it finally became clear that half of that lineup — drummer Frank Ferrer, guitarist Richard Fortus, longtime keyboardist Dizzy Reed and, of course, Axl Rose — would participate in the band's 2016 "reunion." That's a misleading word, though, as until April 1, this particular incarnation of GN'R — which features a returning Slash and Duff McKagan, as well as second keyboardist Melissa Reese — had never performed together. (Cue the great line from "Airheads": "There's three of you — you're not exactly 'Lone.'")

Semantics aside, it's easy to be cynical about reunion tours, especially when bands can't bury the necessary hatchets to showcase lineups that people truly want to see. After all, was anyone genuinely excited to see David Lee Roth return to a VAN HALEN that did not feature Michael Anthony? GN'R is admittedly a different beast, though. Many have forgetten that during the marathon "Use Your Illusion" tour, the group's ranks, which by that point no longer featured Steven Adler and Izzy Stradlin, had swollen to 12, including two female backing vocalists/dancers and a three-piece horn section. Today's seven-piece lineup feels positively streamlined by comparison.

Still, there's something admirable about GN'R wanting to connect its storied past with the players who performed on and toured in support of "Chinese Democracy", a divisive yet fascinating album whose material comprised much of the band's set lists for the last decade or so. Indeed, seeing Slash and Duff play its sneering title track, "This I Love" and "Better" last night legitimized that era of GN'R, and also provided an olive branch to the fans who supported it.

Let's be clear, though: No one in Las Vegas paid to hear "Chinese Democracy" songs performed live. The real draw, as has always been the case for GN'R, is material from "Appetite For Destruction", the band's lightning-in-a-bottle debut that rivals "Back In Black" as the best hard rock album of the '80s. That's not meant to dismiss the "Use Your Illusion" albums, which for 25 years have served as rock's best ice-breaker ("Get In The Ring" still makes my personal single-disc version, and if you say otherwise, I'll kick your bitchy little ass), but despite the fact that they spawned nine MTV staples and sold millions of copies, they simply don't match the power — and staying power — of "Appetite", which is likely why the band performed just two "UYI" originals during last week's gig at L.A.'s Troubadour.

To the disappointment of those who shelled out hundreds of dollars on the secondary market to attend last night's show (originally billed as GN'R's tour kickoff), the Troubadour concert marked the first time since 1993 that Axl, Slash and Duff shared the stage. That prospect seemed impossible as recently as four years ago, when the group was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame and Axl famously declined to attend the induction ceremony. Apparently time, or at least the prospect of enormous stadium-tour paydays, heals all wounds.

Speaking of wounds, last night's show saw Axl sporting a cast on his left foot, which was apparently injured as he slipped during the Troubadour show. Considering the recent rumors about the reunion nearly falling apart before it even started, it's just the kind of thing you'd expect to cause postponments, cancellations or worse — but to Axl's credit, he made lemonade last night. Just after midnight — and nearly an hour and a half after openers ALICE IN CHAINS completed their set — a large throne decorated with flood lights and guitar necks was wheeled onto the stage. For most of the 140 minutes that followed, Axl sat front and center with his injured foot elevated. Considering how much he normally moves around the stage, it's unfortunate that he was immobilized to such a degree, but on the bright side, he sounded sensational. Noticeably slimmer and clean-shaven, with shaggy, shoulder-length hair, he also looked rejuvenated compared to the pimp/godfather image he projected during the "Chinese Democracy" tour.

As they did at the Troubadour, the band opened its Vegas set with a double-shot of "Appetite" favorites in "It's So Easy" and "Mr. Brownstone". The staging wasn't anything special — a large video screen hung above the stage, with two smaller ones on either side — but as you heard these classics performed live, you realized it's not about what's on the stage, but who. Seeing Duff play the opening notes of "It's So Easy" and hearing him harmonizing with Axl while Slash, sporting a top hat and sunglasses, was hunched over his Les Paul on stage left felt just as exciting as you hoped it would.

It was a ballsy move to perform the title track of "Chinese Democracy" just three songs in, but Slash gave the song a swagger it had always lacked. For those scoring at home, he handled the first part of the solo before passing the baton to Fortus, who then tackled the Buckethead section — which for the last few years was performed by Bumblefoot. (Confused yet?)

After four roadies pushed Axl's throne a bit further toward stage right, he introduces fan favorite "Estranged". Although the video accompaniment displayed jellyfish rather than dolphins for whatever reason, a fan in the front row waved what appeared to be an inflatable porpoise throughout the song. 25 years ago, that might have caused Axl to jump into the crowd, walk off stage and/or indirectly incite a riot, but in Vegas, he was all business during the song, matching the power of Slash's haunting solos with a riveting vocal performance.

After a pyro-drenched "Live And Let Die" — during which Axl unleashed three remarkable primal screams — and a stretched-out "Rocket Queen", the always powerful "You Could Be Mine" gave the singer a chance to show off both his sense of humor (via his customary "with your ass in the air" quip) and his unrivaled piss-and-vinegar vocal delivery. A trio of surprises followed: Duff singing a cover of THE DAMNED's "New Rose"; the band's first performance of "UYI" I's epic finale "Coma" since 1993; and a completely unexpected yet absolutely chilling rendition of the "ChiDem" ballad "This I Love" that, between Axl singing his ass off and Slash delivering a letter-perfect solo, might well have been the show's emotional highlight.

The third and final "Chinese Democracy" song performed, "Better", was also a revelation. The band added a dark, heavy intro and stronger backing vocals that gave the song a completely different flavor, and after Slash nailed another sharp solo, it was finally clear why the album took Axl more than a decade to complete: It was missing something. It was missing this.

It's impossible to pick a favorite moment from the final hour of the show, for highlights were plentiful: the powerful "Civil War"; a well-crafted instrumental medley of "Wish You Were Here" and "Layla" that led into "November Rain"; and a confetti-drenched "Paradise City". On the flip side, a nearly 10-minute rendition of "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" was a bit too drawn out, but Axl's performance of the song showed far more restraint than usual and held your interest throughout. (It's too bad he didn't request any reggae, though.)

While it might seem like a letdown that the show featured no guest stars, it's hard to imagine that anyone who watched the band take its final bow at 2:25 a.m. was disappointed by what they'd just witnessed. Against all odds, in a city that lives and dies by them, GN'R felt like GN'R again.

1.) T-Mobile Arena had no fucking clue what waa going on for how to get people in the arena quick. I stood still in the rain for 30 minutes on the left side of the big blob of people. Then I went to the right side on a chance and got inside within 3 minutes.

2.) Crowd took a while to get inside. I went up from my seat in section 13 about five sections and down to the 2nd row to watch AIC. Someone finally came and I went back up but there were about 15 instances when I almost tried hopping the railing and sneaking into the pit.

3.) Guns was awesome. The whole set was amazing. Axl looked like the most badass person in the world up there on that throne. And you could tell he was feeling how good the band was playing. You can tell he cares and is happy.

4.) When they started playing Coma, the crowd went nuts. And they nailed every part of it.

5.) I don't care anymore what people say about Izzy not being here. Richard fucking owned that first Wish You Were Here solo. That was, in my opinion, the coolest part of the show. The band, minus Axl, just fucking annihilating one of the greatest songs by one of the greatest bands in music history. Richard was indoctrinated into GNR lore in that moment for me.

6.) Seeing Axl, Slash and Duff jamming out to the cover they did before November Rain -- I know the song, I'm just tired and blanking on the name -- was surreal. It was just those three with the focus and all next to one another. That moment was up there in the best of the show.

7.) God damnit, Axl sounded so fucking good. Forget "2006 vocals." Hearing it live, he sounded like 1992 at times. He owned You Could Be Mine. Owned it. Major props to him for digging down deeeeeeeeep on some screams -- WTTJ, LALD, KOHD, Coma -- and all with a fractured bone in his foot. He's a fucking trooper and a rock n roll legend.

8.) Slash was getting LIT on some endings. His finish to Sweet Child was killer. And he did a hop and final chord right up to Axl's throne. Someone said it was like he and Richard were his knights. That is perfect. Especially then. Slash jumping around on ChiDem and holding the guitar up to the sky on some of those UYI rockers was awesome.

9.) Duff doesn't get much attention but God damn his stage presence is amazing. He knows how to balance the stage based on where Richard and Slash -- and usually Axl -- move so it's not overcrowding one side and forgetting the other. And his singing on New Rose was pretty stellar.

10.) Meliss was getting hype back there for some intros. I love her addition. Honestly. She adds something fresh to the band. She looks like what all of us would look like if we were on stage with GNR. Just hopping around and being turnt like you're on speed. Very energetic. Love it.

11.) I'm not a drumming expert but Frank seemed on point with the UYI rockers and Brownstone. Not a huuuuge fan of his drumming for November Rain but overall I felt the extra pizzazz at the end of it was so epic and killer any mistakes didnt matter.

12.) When they walked off for the final time, Slash gave Frank a huge hug. Then Axl hobbled by with his crutches and you could tell Axl and Slash were chatting together -- with no one else around -- as they exited. Pretty cool to see. Axl also smiled at Slash the first time he introduced him and said, "You all know this guy," and then smiled at him like he was his brother.

13.) This incarnation of Guns N' Roses is fucking killer. This is the best band in the world. No doubt in my mind. Axl, Slash, Richard, Duff, Frank, Dizzy and Melissa. That's Guns N' Fucking Roses and God damnit they are fucking incredible. That was the best show they've had and the best the band has sou ded since 1991 at Rock in Rio 2. Of course, that is subjective and people will disagree about placing it above other shows. Whatever. They fucking killed it. A-plus. They made this $1,000 trip worth it and I'll be seeing them at least two times this summer.

LAS VEGAS — “You like my, my furniture?” the singer W. Axl Rose asked the screaming crowd at the T-Mobile Arena here on Friday night. He was on a throne made from guitars and amps, lent by Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters, where he could keep his injured left foot immobile.

It was the first night of an arena and festival tour by the partly reunited Guns N’ Roses, which brings Mr. Rose together with two of the band’s founding members — Slash (Saul Hudson) on lead guitar and Duff McKagan on bass — for the first time since the mid-1990s. Since then there have been insults, recriminations, lawsuits and a takeover of the Guns N’ Roses brand by Mr. Rose, who has toured and recorded with sidemen for two decades. The Not in This Lifetime Tour, as the band has called it, was a reunion significant enough to make Guns N’ Roses the Saturday night headliner at the Coachella festival on April 16 and 23.

During an April 1 preview show for 500 people at the Los Angeles club the Troubadour, which helped propel the band to fame in the 1980s, Mr. Rose fell off the stage and broke a bone in his foot — thus the throne for a month of recuperation. Unexpected as it was, the injury only clinched the point of the reunion. It is different — both fraught and familiar — playing with peers who invented a band sound and sidemen trying to recreate it. Unable to strut and shimmy across the stage as the frontman he has been for so long, Mr. Rose had to rely on the songs themselves and share the spotlight, perhaps more than he expected.

He made every effort. Singing from the throne, he pumped out the beat with his right leg and gesticulated with both arms. Using crutches or a wheelchair, he also periodically headed backstage during instrumentals for costume changes that barely mattered: studded leather jackets and assorted hats, T-shirts, bandannas and sunglasses. He has set aside the unfortunate fashion choices, like cornrows and hockey jerseys, of his recent tours; he also omitted the onstage rants that once punctuated the band’s more indulgent shows.

Meanwhile, in every riff and solo, Slash — with no wardrobe changes — confirmed how much he brought to the band at its peak. Mr. Rose’s latter-day lineups have featured guitarists who were technically accomplished but cold. Slash could match their speed — as he proved in “Chinese Democracy,” a song recorded without him — but his phrasing was songful even in his many flashy stretches, hinting at, among many others, Carlos Santana, Duane Allman and Jimi Hendrix (whom he quoted a few times). Guns N’ Roses is a 1980s band that never repudiated the 1960s.

When songs made room for jams, there were improvisatory sparks between Slash and Mr. McKagan, still pushing each other, stirring up dynamics. The band on stage in Las Vegas also included, on keyboards, Dizzy Reed, who has stayed with Mr. Rose since 1990, along with two more recent sidemen, Richard Fortus on guitar and Frank Ferrer on drums, and a second keyboard player, Melinda Reese. Slash, Mr. McKagan and Mr. Fortus swaggered and twirled all over the stage, rambunctiously compensating for Mr. Rose’s fixed position.

Guns N’ Roses made only one indelible album: its first one, “Appetite for Destruction,” in 1987. The band was already fracturing when it released a pair of uneven albums, “Use Your Illusion” I and II, in 1991. The next (and most recent) Guns N’ Roses studio album with original songs would be the overcooked “Chinese Democracy” in 2008, made by Mr. Rose with numerous sidemen.

Many Guns N’ Roses songs came out of a very particular milieu, but their chemistry of bravado and trauma reached tens of millions of listeners. The music united Hollywood glam-rock and 1980s metal with punk’s speed and ferocity, yet still maintained a connection to the blues. The lyrics portrayed a Los Angeles “jungle” populated with wounded, messed-up strivers and awash in drugs and sex: characters embodied in Mr. Rose’s yowling, rasping, screeching vocals, keeping all sentiment at bay by staying reckless and deliberately abrasive. Now, there is more self-preservation in his performance; he allows himself some clear-voiced high crooning and saves his most throat-tearing howls for peak moments.

The two-and-a-half-hour set included songs from all three decades of the band’s catalog — including some, like “Estranged,” “Civil War” and “Patience,” that took on new meanings when performed by the reunited band. Seven of the 11 songs on “Appetite for Destruction” were in the set. So was “Double Talkin’ Jive,” a song credited solely to a band founder absent from the reunion, Izzy Stradlin. Guns N’ Roses prefaced its grandiose hit ballad “November Rain” with the instrumental second half of “Layla” by Derek and the Dominos, the obvious model for the former song’s guitar-hero finale. It also revived a magnum opus from 1991 — ”Coma,” a battle between death wish and survival instinct, rugged riff and psychedelic aspiration — that was as tumultuous as it deserved to be.

There is nostalgia at any reunion concert — and unanswered questions about backstage tensions. Guns N’ Roses isn’t, and can’t be, the 1980s band that was creating itself out of shared, desperate ambition. And there was no new material at this concert. But the band sounded strong enough and united enough to hope there will be.

A recently reunited Guns N’ Roses played a surprise gig for a few hundred fans at a cramped Hollywood club earlier this month, but the question remained: Did the volatile group have the firepower to electrify an arena — or, better yet, a stadium? The Rock and Roll Hall of Famers delivered the goods Friday night — despite singer Axl Rose performing while sitting due to a fractured foot — in a victorious show at Las Vegas’s new 20,000-seat T-Mobile Arena that should put doubts to rest.

After more than two decades of bickering and lawsuits, Rose, guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan barreled through a 22-song, two-and-a-half-hour set before a sold-out crowd at the venue, a joint venture by Anschutz Entertainment Group and MGM Resorts International that opened Wednesday. Guns N’ Roses’ two concerts Friday and Saturday night, which precede headlining slots at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and two shows in Mexico City, kick off a summer tour of North American stadiums that Billboard estimates is bringing the band around $3 million per date.

Fans at Friday’s show, decked out in Guns N’ Roses T-shirts from the past three decades, didn’t have a long wait: The band, which has sold over 100 million records worldwide, came on around midnight, after opener Alice in Chains, and played a gutsy combination of hits from 1987’s debut LP “Appetite for Destruction” (“Sweet Child O’ Mine,” “Paradise City”); deep cuts from 1991’s follow-up “Use Your Illusion” (“Double Talkin’ Jive,” “Estranged”); and a few tunes from the 2008 album “Chinese Democracy.”

Rose’s injury could have hurt the band’s set — he tends to zip around the stage more than most performers, even if it winds him, and his snake-dance is well-known — but it didn’t. Fans were on their feet for most of the show, which started with Rose being wheeled onto the stage in the throne-like chair used recently by Foo Fighters leader Dave Grohl and spitting out the lyrics of “It’s So Easy,” and ended around 2:30 a.m. with “Paradise City,” Rose throwing his mic into the crowd and happily walking offstage on crutches while talking with Slash.

Rose and company tried to make his immobility an asset by including longer, moodier songs: In a highly unusual move, Guns N’ Roses played “Coma,” from 1991’s “Use Your Illusion I” — which lasts 10 minutes — one of only a handful of performances of the song ever. “I can see how you could get used to this,” Rose said, referring to his sitting position and laughing — one of several times he made light of his injury. (Axl similarly hurt himself in 1991 during a warm-up show for a big tour, and played several shows in a cast.)

Two of Guns N’ Roses’ founding members were missing, disappointing some fans. Rhythm guitarist and songwriter Izzy Stradlin, whom bassist McKagan has called “probably the most significant force” in the group, had indicated via Twitter he wouldn’t be at the band’s April shows. Richard Fortus, a longtime member of Rose’s previous version of Guns N’ Roses (in which Rose is the sole founding member), traded guitar licks with corkscrew-haired Slash. Original drummer Steven Adler was also absent, with drumming duties handled by Frank Ferrer, another veteran of Rose’s crew. Rounding out the band were 1990s-era keyboardist Dizzy Reed and a new member — talented instrumentalist Melissa Reese.

To their credit, Guns N’ Roses have not used the word “reunion,” despite bringing back the band’s beloved original logo — a pair of handguns entwined with roses, a symbol of the duality of life and death. Many of the night’s tunes, however, from classic hits such as “Sweet Child O’ Mine” to lesser-known rockers like “Double Talkin’ Jive” owe much of their writing to Stradlin. Adler’s drumming once gave the group a rock ‘n roll swing it lost in the 1990s, following Adler’s dismissal, when Guns N’ Roses became a heavier band.

Friday’s performance was a big test for Rose, perhaps the most powerful and distinctive rock vocalist of his generation. The 54-year-old singer proved he still has it: He was impressively in command, hitting the high notes and reveling in unleashing long screams, though his voice has lost some of its growly menace as he has aged. McKagan, whose fit body looks much younger than its years thanks to sobriety and exercise, bounced around the stage, singing one tune himself, a cover of The Damned’s “New Rose.” Slash, for his part, has become an even better guitar player over the past few decades, and performed with gusto — even on Rose’s “Chinese Democracy” tracks.

Guns N’ Roses getting back together is a boon for the music industry. Their “Not in This Lifetime” tour, promoted by Live Nation, represents the biggest effort to reinvigorate a rock touring giant since the returns of the Police in the late 2000s and the Eagles in the 1990s. (The tour’s name is a play on the Eagles’ own “Hell Freezes Over” tour and an inside joke: Rose once said the phrase in response to questions about a reunion.) Buzzy reunions such as Guns N’ Roses’ are big game for promoters, who are seeking ways to stand out in a crowded live-music scene in which many acts are constantly on the road.

Members of Guns N’ Roses have avoided interviews with the press, leaving the origins of their reunion — long thought impossible — something of a mystery. It’s unclear why Stradlin and Adler have not been involved. Some believe Rose, who owns the band’s name, views the partially reunited band as simply the group’s latest incarnation, with Slash and McKagan filling open slots following the departures of guitarist DJ Ashba and bassist Tommy Stinson.

Among hardcore fans, there’s speculation that Stradlin and the band couldn’t agree on the size of his role and pay. The L.A. Weekly has reported that Adler, who long has advocated for a reunion but has struggled with drug problems, was going to make an appearance at the band’s April 1 surprise gig at the Troubadour club in West Hollywood — but was curtailed by back surgery.

At the T-Mobile Arena on Friday, Rose, Slash and McKagan made a point of huddling near each other during songs, as if to show solidarity. “I think you know this guy,” Rose joked, introducing Slash. “I don’t know what it is, but it’s pissed off, and it calls itself Slash,” he said, echoing the way he used to introduce the guitarist in the early 1990s.

For young rock fans today, Guns N’ Roses are what Led Zeppelin were to an earlier generation of music lovers in the 1980s and 1990s: Living legends. Friday’s show proved that, faced with a last-minute, potentially show-crippling turn of events, Guns N’ Roses could rise to the occasion.

@Johan wrote:So much for the bullshit about: "Slash and Duff are not smiling at all and look unhappy and unmotivated".

Heh, yes. I admit I thought Slash looked a bit reserved on the first night (but who wouldn't be?) but it is undeniable that that this looks really promising for the completion of the tour. They seem to enjoy each others company. I must admit I never thought this would happen. Both that they would actually share a stage again and that they would be so happy to be back in each others company.

Alice In Chains’ official blogger The Baldy recently wrote about the band opening for Guns N’ Roses last month in Las Vegas.

Opening the first official show for the reunited Guns N’ Roses is like taking a circus, putting it inside a giant snow globe filled with beautiful and famous people, and then shaking it up so hard that all the clocks get messed up and time becomes a very fluid and malleable thing.

That’s my fancy way of saying that a little GNR rubbed off on AIC, and the guys started their set 25 minutes late on night number one.

I’m not sure if that came at the GNR camp’s request or if we asked for it, but our guys usually start right on schedule, so I think I know the answer to that question.

The guys played and sounded great, but the highlight for me came during Would?.

I was standing out in the crowd, about 20 feet from the stage, when Dave Grohl & Taylor Hawkins strolled by and stopped to watch.

They were rocking out and banging their heads, re-establishing in my mind that they not only have great musical taste, but they’re just normal dudes who aren’t afraid to head out in the heart of the crowd and mix with us regular folks.

Nice.

So with Alice’s set in the books, it was time to sit back and wait.

Which wasn’t too bad actually, as Guns N’ Roses started right around midnight (they were scheduled for 11:00).

Earlier in the night I was nearly run down in the hallway as crew guys were rolling Dave Grohl’s throne into the venue.

Dave Broke his foot last year on tour and was nice enough to loan his hand made throne to Axl, who had broken his foot the previous week during their surprise show in L.A.

Unfortunately this kind of rock star frontman broken footed technology didn’t exist back in 1992 when Layne broke his foot on tour.

He just did the gigs in a wheelchair, on crutches, and even a couch for a couple songs.

Back to present day though.

Guns N’ Roses were great, even with Axl glued to his seat.

Their show is full of everything that makes a rock show great; fire, bombs, lights, dancing girls, and of course an assload of timeless songs.

However, the real highlight for me came between bands.

A short woman with a bit of a weight issue came into the band’s dressing room after the show. She was decked out in T-Mobile gear, so we knew she was a venue employee.

The room was packed with band and crew and guests at the time.

It’s a bit unusual for venue staff to come into the dressing room area while it’s still being used, but we thought maybe she was there to clean something up or freshen up the food area, since that’s where she was headed.

She slowly made her way across the room, and she just mumbled incoherently when Sean’s tech Curtis and I said hello as she passed by.

He turned to me and said, “Wouldn’t it be funny if she went over there and started eating stuff?”.

And then that’s exactly what she did.

She picked up a cracker, sniffed it, and then stuffed it in her mouth.

Then she looked around a bit before reaching into an open bag of chips, grabbing one out, and dunking it in a bowl of ranch dip.

We were looking at each wondering what in the hell was going on, so Curtis walked over and told her she couldn’t be eating the band’s food.

Then she just looked at him for a second and slowly waddled back out of the room without saying a word.

It’s a bit sad that on an epic night in recent music history, one of the highlights for me was watching a peculiar venue employee eat the band’s food, but it was highly entertaining (to us at least).

Also weirdly entertaining was walking around to the side of the stage during GNR’s set and almost running into famed Las Vegas comedian Carrot Top.

This came only a few hours after nearly running into famed adult film star Ron Jeremy on the floor of the casino we stayed at.

This is somewhat indicative of the downward trajectory of my career running into famous people.

Years ago when Soundgarden played Saturday Night Live I literally ran into Elle Macpherson at the after party. She was very soft and girly and supermodel-y.

Nowadays it’s Carrot Top & Ron Jeremy.

And if you’re not familiar with either of them, do a (safe) google search and then prepare to rinse your eyes out with soap.

I don’t like the direction my encounters with famous people have gone.

But there was still another show to go and a chance that a more palatable collection of famous folks would be backstage.

Show #2 rolled around and Alice played another short yet powerful 50 minute set, which got me thinking:

Alice In Chains and Guns N’ Roses go together like a punch in the neck and a kick to the crotch.

They both have a staggering catalog of songs, they both put on stellar shows, and they both have a ton of loyal fans.

It’d be cool if this could happen again.

But regardless of whether these two amazing bands play more shows together or not, it was an incredible couple of nights in Las Vegas.